For various aesthetic reasons, many individuals wish to possess elongated fingernails or fingernails having a more finished or polished appearance. However, some are unable or unwilling to grow their own natural fingernails out to the desired length. Alternately, they may not have the time, skill, or financial wherewithal to maintain or obtain a more finished appearance that may result from well manicured and/or polished nails. As a result, entire industries have developed around the artificial supplementation and enhancement of natural nails. Such enhancements may range from manicuring and polishing of natural fingernails to individually building artificial nails on the natural nail and nail form from an acrylic powder and liquid which chemically bond to the nail surface as the artificial nail is built. Between these two extremes, are preformed, artificial nails that are glued or otherwise bonded to a person's own naturally occurring fingernails. Such nails are readily available to a wide range of users through drug and department stores. Such preformed artificial nails may be clear or opaque, and/or prepolished and/or decorated to provide the desired appearance.
Artificial nails are commonly made from molded thermoplastic and are available in a wide range of lengths and styles. One broad category of an artificial nail style is the full nail form. As its name implies, the full nail form simulates the entire human fingernail and includes a proximal edge intended to overlay substantially the entire nail bed and a distal free edge which is intended to extend beyond the fingertip of the wearer. The proximal edge is shaped to be disposed substantially adjacent or abut against the cuticle of the finger. The distal free edge may have any of various lengths and shapes, such as oval, square, or flared, depending upon the desired look. Additionally, to further simulate a natural fingernail, the artificial nail is typically formed with a curvature between a first side edge and a second side and a curvature between the proximal and distal edges. Preferably, the artificial nail is sufficiently durable and rigid to withstand the hazards inherent in its use.
Manufacturers typically provide users with a range of nail sizes, e.g., identified by size numbers 0-9, to accommodate most nail sizes. Generally, artificial nails are packaged together in sets including a range of different sizes so that the purchaser receives differently artificial nails for their different fingers. In addition to the set of different sized artificial nails, the package may also include liquid adhesive and/or peel-off adhesive pads for bonding the artificial nails to the purchaser's natural fingernails.
It is well known, however, that the contour of natural fingernails varies greatly between individuals and even between different fingers on the same individual. Variations between the curvatures of the preformed artificial nail and the natural nail, however, may affect the integrity of the attachment to the nail, the comfort to the wearer, and the aesthetic appeal of the nail when secured to the natural nail. For example, some individuals have one or more relatively flat nail beds. When attaching an artificial nail that is more curved than the natural nail bed, there will be a gap between the artificial and natural nail bed. In order to adequately bond the artificial nail to the nail bed, a proportionally greater amount of adhesive must be applied. The best bond, however, is obtained from a thin layer of glue between adjacently disposed artificial and natural nail surfaces. A greater amount of glue may result in the formation of air pockets within the volume of glue, weakening the bond. Consequently, the use of a greater amount of glue may actually result in a less durable bond between the artificial and natural nails, and shorten wear time. Moreover, when the user presses the more arched artificial nail downward against the flatter natural nail bed of the user, and the bond is established, the artificial nail will seek to return to its natural, more arched free position. As a result, this pulling on the natural nail bed can cause the user significant pain and discomfort.
It has been difficult, if not impossible, to produce artificial nails having degrees of curvature between the first and second side edges and proximal and distal edges that accommodate all natural fingernails. While manufacturers may produce a large number of artificial nails with a variety of curves, this solution is undesirable and impractical because of the associated increase in manufacturing costs. As a result, manufactures typically produce a set of preformed artificial nails have varying widths and including set degrees of curvature.
The assignee of the present disclosure has proposed the manufacture and use of an artificial nail that tapers from the distal edge or free edge portion to the proximal edge. In this way, the thinner structure of the nail bed portion of the artificial nail, which is adapted to be disposed along the user's natural nail bed, is relatively flexible, as compared to the free edge portion of the artificial nail, wherein the thicker structure provides greater strength to the artificial nail. The design is disclosed in greater detail in U.S. Publication 2007-0051384A1, which was filed Aug. 16, 2005, and is based upon provisional application 60/601,895, filed Aug. 16, 2004.
It has also been proposed to provide a two-part nail including a partial underlay of a deformable material beneath a polymeric body, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,281. The underlay of deformable material that extends to the proximal edge of or beyond the proximal edge of the stiffer polymeric body to form the proximal end of the artificial nail to be disposed adjacent the user's cuticle.